Our next service is on April 1 at 9:30 AM in Newmark Hall. It will be followed by an extended Kiddush sponsored by Susan Cohen in honor of her birthday & Bea Travis in memory of her husband Seymour.

	2006 Calendar of Events April 1      9:30 AM Service followed by an extended Kiddush April 12      Passover begins, First Seder April 30      2:00 PM "Heart of Fashion" Fundraiser May 6      8:30 AM Breakfast and Study followed by the service.
	From Barbara's Kitchen In April we celebrate Passover. The highlight of this holiday is the Seder. This is a time to share family favorites and traditions. But what do we do the rest of the week without bread and pasta? To help you out I am going to share with you what I call Passover Lasagne. I have enjoyed this dish since I was introduced to it by a Sephardic friend. It was her idea to add the spinach to the original recipe. I, in turn, also made a few changes. Feel free to make your own version. This recipe works well with leftover cooked lamb, minced. Another idea is to prepare it with chicken or turkey and mashed sweet potatoes. The official name for this dish is: Mina de Carne (Matzo Meat Pie) 3 whole matzos, placed in cold water to dampen and then drained. They should be limp. Set aside. 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 pound ground lamb 1/ 2 cup chopped fresh parsley pinch of allspice salt and pepper to taste 1 1/4 cups mashed potatoes 3 eggs, beaten 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained 2 Tablespoons oil. Brown the onion, garlic, lamb, parsley and seasonings. You don't need any fat or oil. It is already in the lamb. Combine the mashed potatoes and eggs. Add half to the meat mixture along with the drained spinach. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Grease a square pan large enough to hold one whole matzo. I use a spray. Place one whole matzo at the bottom of the pan. Add half the meat mixture. Top with a second matzo. Spread remaining meat mixture on top. Cover with third matzo. Place remaining potato-egg mixture on top. Make sure to cover the matzo completely. Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of oil on top or use the spray. Bake for one hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Rabbi's Class: "Where Is God In...?"
We are thrilled Rabbi August will be teaching us this coming May. Once again she will guide us through thought-provoking issues with her knowledge, insight, compassion and wisdom. This class invites us to explore our understanding of God in relation to personal and global events. It will meet on three consecutive Tuesday evenings in May.

Rabbi August will discuss the topic "Where Is God In...?"

• Where is God in the Tsunami and other disasters?
• Where is God in the suffering of innocent victims of terror, personal illness and other tragedies?
• Where is God in the everyday miracles of our lives?

Location:		Adat Shalom 3030 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, 90034.
Time:		7:00 - 9:30 P.M.
Dates:		May 9, 16, 23

Please register as soon as possible so that Rabbi August will be able to prepare accordingly.

The cost for the entire course is:
$36 for members of Lev Eisha or Adat Shalom
$45 for all others

Please send your check made out to Lev Eisha with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to:

Lev Eisha of Adat Shalom
3030 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Make sure you label it for the May class.

Class Outline

Session 1 - Tuesday, May 9
What do the Rabbis say about?

• People with faith.
• Individuals challenging God's plan.
• The "Jewish" view of the Tsunami's devastation.

Session 2 - Tuesday, May 16
We will discuss:

• Why do we suffer?
• Searching for answers to the bitter truth: We only die once, but we suffer endlessly. Why!!?

Session 3 - Tuesday, May 23
Finding your own voice...What is your view?

• "Coincidence is simply God's way of choosing to remain anonymous."
• "Miracles are God's answers to free will gone wild..."

We will use Rabbi Benjamin Blech's text, "If God is Good, Why is the World so Bad?" The book is published by Simcha Press, Deerfield Beach, Fl. (2003) and may be purchased through the Lev Eisha website at www.leveisha.org. For any further information, please contact Vivian at education@leveisha.org.

Torah Thoughts from Rabbi August
April is the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of the Biblical year. Because of the holiday of Passover, it is called the month of rebirth and is experienced as a time of renewal.

We think of "renewal" during Rosh Hashanah. The truth is, we have mini Rosh Hashanah moments all year long!

Think about it. Feel it. Springtime. Look around and we see the buds on trees and the shoots of new plants pushing through the earth. What is seemingly "dead" bursts alive...all the energy hidden within, getting stronger until life renews itself.

When else could we have been freed from Egypt but in the spring, a time of growth, birth, and life?

This month, before Passover, is a mini Rosh Hashanah. Where are we? How can we look at ourselves at this time of year? Where have we come in the last few months? Are we doing our work? Are we taking care of ourselves?

On Passover we "clean out" Chametz literally, and figuratively, within ourselves. So, what needs cleaning this year? What do we have to get rid of? What "habits" or routine behaviors are not serving us?

How can we add more "life" to our lives? Are you in "narrow straits" in "Mitzraim?" You can free yourselves this month!

Are you attending Lev Eisha? This is a life giving service that helps clean out our spiritual clutter each month.

Are your studying something? Are you being physical? Do you have a spiritual practice?

Take a few moments. Reflect on yourself and where you are. This is the time to let go of old routines and patterns. It is a time to open up to spring. A time for growth and renewal. Chag Kasher V'Sameach! A healthy, meaningful Passover. May we feel free, renewed and grateful for all that we have.

Lev Eisha Board Seeks New Members

The Lev Eisha Board is currently seeking members to join us during the coming year, 2006-7. Board meetings are once a month. We welcome your ideas and participation. If you are interested please contact Robin Winston, Nominating Committee Chair at robin@leveisha.org.

"Heart of Fashion" Fundraiser
Save the date: April 30, 2006 at 2 o'clock for our "Heart of Fashion" Fundraiser. It will take place at Adat Shalom. Your invitation will be in the mail around the first week of April. If you don't receive it, please e-mail fundraising@leveisha.org You won't want to miss this special event. The proceeds fund our Lev Eisha activities.

Fashions are by Draper's and Damon's

The models are our own members including:

In addition, there will be an opportunity to buy special items from our vendors. The buffet will feature delicious hors d'oeuvres and dessert.

Installation of Rabbi August
On Saturday evening March 11, 2006, over two-hundred people came together in joyous celebration on the occasion of Rabbi August's installation as Rabbi of Adat Shalom. Her good friend Rabbi Naomi Levi performed the ceremony. The gala committee did an outstanding job. The food was delicious. The table decorations were a tribute to Purim. They were delightful. The festive music and meaningful speeches carried the event forward. There were many Lev Eisha members in attendance which is a tribute to Rabbi August. We appreciate her.

"She Danced For The Love She Felt"
The following poem was read by Joy Krauthammer at our February service. So many of us were moved and thought it would be a good idea to share it with you. It is reprinted here with permission of the poet.

she danced for the love she felt... she danced for the love she felt the love she gave away and the love she kept she danced to free her spirit and to free other spirits too she danced in response to joy and to process the pain she moved her body like her life depended on it all the while praying for love to come, for sadness to go she danced for all the people who can't dance for themselves she also taught others to dance for justice, for truth, for possibility for healing the broken hearted she danced to break the ties that bind our women to bring awareness and healing to invite friendship and art into open spaces that the dance created she danced to break open the hearts of our men to bring truth and compassion to encourage kindness and vision to invite kinship and integrity into the tender places that the dance touched she danced to keep the flame of true love alive she dance for all the wishes, all the dreams and all the blessings of all the world she danced the first dance and the last dance she danced when she was too tired to walk she danced for the living and for the dead for birth and for mourning she danced for family and for freedom she danced our prayers all the way to God which wasn't so very far after all... --- by Reverend Shiloh Sophia McCloud